Orange County NC Website
16 <br /> 1 period in which public funding will be available. <br /> 2 Attorneys for Orange County and the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro have previously <br /> 3 advised their elected officials, managers, and staffs that the respective legal departments do <br /> 4 not believe the local governments have the necessary authority to pay for private sewer service <br /> 5 lateral connection installations that are not owned by "persons of low and moderate income". <br /> 6 Therefore, non-LMI Heritage Lot homeowners will not be able to utilize the joint funding that will <br /> 7 be made available by the proposed Interlocal Agreement (Attachment 2). Non-LMI Heritage Lot <br /> 8 homeowners (owner-occupied) wishing to connect to the gravity sewer system in the Rogers <br /> 9 Road area will be able to access a no-interest 10-year loan from Orange County, on a voluntary <br /> 10 basis, to help cover the associated costs. <br /> 11 The proposed Interlocal Agreement (Attachment 2) is the product of a joint collaborate review <br /> 12 effort by the Rogers Road Staff Working Group. The Group meets on a bi-weekly basis and <br /> 13 consists of designated representatives from Orange County, the Towns of Chapel Hill and <br /> 14 Carrboro, and OWASA. The proposed Interlocal Agreement has also been reviewed and <br /> 15 approved by the respective Attorneys of the three local governments. The Chapel Hill Town <br /> 16 Council is scheduled to consider the proposed Interlocal Agreement on May 1, and the Town of <br /> 17 Carrboro Board of Aldermen is scheduled to consider the proposed Interlocal Agreement on <br /> 18 May 7. <br /> 19 <br /> 20 <br /> 21 FINANCIAL IMPACT: <br /> 22 There is adequate existing Planning & Inspections staff and Housing & <br /> 23 Community Development staff to complete the responsibilities enumerated in the proposed <br /> 24 Interlocal Agreement (Attachment 2). The installation of private sewer service lateral <br /> 25 connections will occur over the next three years (2019, 2020, 2021), commencing upon the <br /> 26 adoption of the proposed Interlocal Agreement and upon the solicitation of pre-qualified <br /> 27 licensed plumbers to complete the private sewer service lateral connection installation work. <br /> 28 <br /> 29 Orange County had budgeted $220,000 in the current (FY18/19) Capital Investment Plan (CIP) <br /> 30 to fund this program, with the expectation of reimbursement by the Towns, as detailed in the <br /> 31 proposed Interlocal Agreement. Staff will do a CIP amendment to add an additional $23,000 <br /> 32 transferred from the construction account for a total of$243,000, which matches the related <br /> 33 ILA. If Planning & Inspections staff determines that the costs of private sewer service lateral <br /> 34 connection installations for LMI-qualified Heritage Lot homeowners may exceed the allocated <br /> 35 budget, the staff will present a CIP amendment to the BOCC for consideration. <br /> 36 <br /> 37 Commissioner Dorosin clarified the 62 potential Heritage lots may be eligible and at <br /> 38 least 27 will likely qualify, and there may be more. <br /> 39 Craig Benedict said yes. <br /> 40 Commissioner Dorosin asked if as many as there are that qualify will be eligible to get <br /> 41 this support. <br /> 42 Craig Benedict said yes. <br /> 43 Commissioner Dorosin asked if one only gets the full amount if one applies in the first <br /> 44 two years, and only 50% if one applies in year three. <br /> 45 Craig Benedict said that is correct. <br /> 46 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is a rationale behind this drop off. <br /> 47 Craig Benedict said it intends to have people connect as soon as possible, and to <br /> 48 abandon septic systems that might be failing, sooner rather than later. He said letters will go <br />